1. Judith Dittman CEO Second Story
Youth Homelessness 101

2. Roadmap Who are unaccompanied youth?
What options should a community make available?
What programs exist at the federal level?
Where are the gaps in your community?

3. PATHWAYS TO HOMELESSNESS FOR YOUTH
Contributing Factors
Youth Fall Through the Cracks of These Systems

4. YOUTH ARE UNIQUE Youth are still developing
Enter homelessness with little to no work experience
Often forced to leave their education prior to completion
Experience high levels of victimization both before and while homeless
Usually enter homelessness without ever having lived by themselves or being responsible for a household
Often negotiating ongoing complicated relationships with their family

5. YOUTH-CENTRIC SYSTEM Health Care Housing Food
Programs Targeted to Youth
Housing
Workforce Development
Food
I am not a child
I am not an adult
Education (K-12, higher ed)
Services
Income
Linkages Between Systems

6. YOUTH-CENTRIC SYSTEM
Youth-centric system to provide youth-appropriate housing and services that aims to:
Prevent homelessness
Decrease length of time youth are homeless
Decrease reoccurrence of homelessness episodes

7. SERVICES FRAMEWORK
Overall, a youth-centric community response should be guided by the following principles:
Positive Youth Development
Trauma-Informed Care
Cultural Competence
Client-Centered Care
Strengths-Based Services

8. YOUTH-CENTRIC SYSTEM Aftercare Services
Prevention
Early & Crisis Intervention
Longer-Term Housing with Support Services
Aftercare Services

9. PREVENTION Roadmap Second Story Community Based Services Goals:
Connect youth and families to services before a youth runs away or is ejected from their home
Let them know services are available for shelter if they need them

10. EARLY & CRISIS INTERVENTION
Roadmap
Second Story Drop in Teen Center
Second Story for Teens in Crisis (Emergency Shelter)
Family engagement and reunification

11. LONGER-TERM STRATEGIES
Roadmap
Second Story for Young Mothers
Second Story for Homeless Youth
Rapid Rehousing for Transition Age Youth
Youth-appropriate housing programs
Case management
(Re-) connection to education
Workforce development
Parenting Education

12. AFTERCARE SERVICES Roadmap Ongoing connection to services
Follow up on safe and stable nature of exits
Reconnection to services as needed
Post-housing supports

13. OUTCOMES OF YOUTH-CENTRIC SYSTEM
Stable Housing
Permanent Connections to Caring and Supportive Adults
Education, Training and Employment
Health and Social-Emotional Well-Being
Self Sufficiency
OUTCOMES OF YOUTH-CENTRIC SYSTEM

14. What components of the Proposed System does your community have?
What critical gaps exist in your community?
How can these gaps be filled?
Specific programs/resources
Who in the community needs to be involved
Community Assessment

15. Judith Dittman jdittman@second-story.org
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Facebook: Second Story ORG

16. Youth Homelessness 101
Judith Dittman
CEO Second Story